Special Forces X76 ‘Jet Helicopter

[Sky727]

This seems to work..

When I see a system like this I always wonder about an engine failure and what happens then.

Evidently when everything is working this is a 400+ MPH vertical take off and carry stuff to include arms and people bird.

DARPA’s new X-76 could completely change how the U.S. military fights. This high-speed VTOL aircraft combines helicopter takeoff with jet-powered flight, eliminating the need for vulnerable runways. Built under SOCOM’s SPRINT program, it’s designed for rapid troop insertion, strike missions, and distributed operations in contested environments like the Pacific. But can this experimental platform succeed where past attempts failed? Let’s break down the tech, strategy, and what it means for future warfare.”

[Djdoubt03]

SPRINT’s experimental aircraft, officially revealed as the X-76, is now being built by Bell Textron, Inc. following a successful Critical Design Review (CDR). The designation places it within the historic lineage of X-planes that have long served to test the boundaries of aviation. Coinciding with the country’s 250th anniversary, the X-76 designation is a deliberate nod to the revolutionary spirit of 1776.The SPRINT program is a joint effort between DARPA and U.S. Special Operations Command to advance technologies that could break the long-standing military trade-off between the high speed of fixed-wing aircraft and the agile, runway-independent operations of vertical takeoff and landing platforms. The design, construction, and flight testing of the X-76 will drive innovative, runway-independent, vertical-lift capability with jet-like cruise performance and inform future needs.

https://www.darpa.mil/news/2026/darpa-ne...helicopter

[BeyondKnowledge]

All lift jets have the same problem the Harrier had. Hey ether melt or burn into the ground if hovered on landing or takeoff too long. 

The ground has to be metal or that is the only time you can use that spot. A helicopter or Osprey blows away the trash and anything lose in the area, jets leave burnt out craters. The fold out propellers will help but being smaller than the ones on the Osprey, it will not get as much lift from them. Hot jet thrust into the ground is a bad thing.

[Raptured]

I'm sure I'm wrong at some if not most points but I recall reading how VTO capabilities for the ATF program back in the 90s proved that backwash was one of the biggest challenges facing the YF-22/23 contenders.   The 23, which lost, managed to overcome the issue to a great extent but the 22 (later F 22) didn't, so they "bent" the rules a bit.

[Blackfingers]

I'm sure I'm wrong at some if not most points but I recall reading how VTO capabilities for the ATF program back in the 90s proved that backwash was one of the biggest challenges facing the YF-22/23 contenders.   The 23, which lost, managed to overcome the issue to a great extent but the 22 (later F 22) didn't, so they "bent" the rules a bit.

Yes turbulence in a landing can lead to rotor blade stall in a hover.

[Avicula]

I'm sure I'm wrong at some if not most points but I recall reading how VTO capabilities for the ATF program back in the 90s proved that backwash was one of the biggest challenges facing the YF-22/23 contenders.   The 23, which lost, managed to overcome the issue to a great extent but the 22 (later F 22) didn't, so they "bent" the rules a bit.

You sure you have the right program? Vertical take off was never a part of the ATF competition. It was for JSF… and the X-32 had some serious issues recirculating overheated air that led to some really big performance shortcomings for the Boeing airplane.